Today, when traveling from one country to another and from one continent to another is no longer difficult or complicated, and when life is relatively comfortable, travel has become an essential form of leisure for everyone, from ordinary people to the intellectual elite. We travel for fun, to broaden our knowledge, to heal, to exchange cultures – so why not travel to enjoy world-class art at its highest level?
We are pleased to introduce the annual touring program of Shen Yun Performing Arts – one of the finest shows in the world. Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded by a group of overseas Chinese artists. They came together with the wish to revive a unique world heritage – the authentic 5,000-year Chinese civilization. In the freedom of artistic activity outside China, Shen Yun has been carrying out its mission of reviving this forgotten traditional culture.
Reviving traditional culture through music and dance
With the borderless language of music and dance, Shen Yun has conveyed a wondrous traditional culture to millions of people around the world. People of any nation can fully enjoy Shen Yun’s performances.
A Shen Yun performance in Detroit
There are folk and ethnic dances that take audiences on a journey to the majestic Tibetan plateau, the long riverbanks of Dai ethnic villages, or the vast and boundless Mongolian steppe…
There are also beloved tales from ancient to modern times such as Journey to the West, Nezha and Wu Song…; and noble figures whose moral example is still very relevant to modern life, such as the heroine Mulan, the undefeated general Han Xin, the loyal and valiant general Yue Fei, and more.
The art form Shen Yun uses is classical dance that is pure, kind, beautiful and unadulterated. Accompanying the captivating dance is a “one-of-a-kind” semi-classical live orchestra that combines Chinese instruments (flute, erhu…) with a Western symphony orchestra (violin, trumpet…), lifting the dancers on unique and exhilarating music.
In addition, the vast and exquisite 3D digital backdrops will surely amaze and captivate many audience members. Viewers are transported to faraway lands, flourishing dynasties and legendary eras in the blink of an eye.
Contributing to the success of the performances are elaborate handmade costumes that show the richness and diversity of China’s dynasties throughout history.
Professional, world-class training
With its mission of restoring authentic traditional culture, Shen Yun has attracted top talent from around the world. Many of its artists have won major awards in international dance, choreography and music competitions. Fei Tian Academy of the Arts and Fei Tian College in New York nurture young talent for Shen Yun and have quickly grown, with two branches in California and Taiwan. Talented students from around the world have come in search of authentic, rigorous training in classical Chinese dance.
“Classical Chinese dance requires not only posture and movement, but also a beauty that comes with moral values and how you conduct yourself,” said Miranda Zhou-Galati, one of Shen Yun’s principal dancers.
Carrying in their hearts a spiritual faith in traditional values, Shen Yun’s artists convey the essence of the culture through their performances. At Shen Yun, you can feel the spirit of the dancers. They work as one, with no sense of pressure in the group. Everyone supports and encourages one another. What they pursue is artistic perfection and a pure traditional culture.
Ms. H. Sue Guo shared: “I have devoted my whole life to art. But only after the age of 70 did I find the most meaningful place in my life.”
“Shen Yun means the beauty of divine beings dancing,” according to Julianne Xu, the company’s bilingual emcee. “This is a rare company. Shen Yun brings audiences around the world a real culture – humane values you cannot find in China today.”
Founded in 2006, in just 10 short years Shen Yun has quickly established itself at the highest level on the world stage. Every year the company tours for 6 months, visiting about 20 countries and more than 100 major cities with new, inspiring and creative spiritual fare. Last year, in 2016, Shen Yun’s 5 companies gave 495 shows in 142 cities in 19 countries. For more information about the performance schedule and for advice, please contact us using the contact details on this website.
An Nhien
(All photos in this article are copyrighted by Shen Yun Performing Arts.)
